I have up graded my mower this year to an eXmarke Phazer 44". I have read the owners manual and practiced turing the "zero turn". Can you give me some tips on how to zero turn without tearing up the grass?

cutbetterthanyou

03-20-2007, 11:24 PM

instead of trying to make a zero-turn try it like a T. when you make your first pass and get ready to turn around, don't lock up one wheel but slow one down,turn to the right or left,stop,back up,then turn back and cut along side of the first pass. do it slow to learn and it will get faster w/ time. do you understand me or am I to confusing?

timmac

03-20-2007, 11:47 PM

good tip, i understood you.

dwost

03-21-2007, 09:09 AM

The key is to keep the wheels moving and not "lock them up" as stated above. in essence as you come to at stop and you are beginning to turn pull back slightly on the opposite lever to reverse one wheel while the other is moving foreward. Gentle inputs on the levers as apposed to jamming them forward and back will keep your turns smooth, not jerky and eliminate the "pivoting" on one wheel.

Runner

03-21-2007, 11:22 AM

Yes. In doing a 3 point turn, each one of your forwards and reverses are don in gentle hooks ) ( by pushing (if forward) or pulling (if reverse) one stick a bit farther than the other. Also, these "3 point" turns in many cases actually become more of a 5 point turn (or more) at times. It may seem extreme, and even make you think it looks like it doesn't know what you are doing. However, the fact is, a true experienced operator WILL use these practices...especially in wetter or weaker or stressed conditions. These machines can stress areas out very easily with an inexperienced or careless operator. When you get good...I mean REAL good, you can avoid this at all extents. Some other things, are like when you come to an inside corner in a yard. I always think it is funny when I go in to treat a lawn that we don't mow, and have to explain these small 6" bare areas that are 4 ft. inside 45 degrees from the corner of the fence or yard. Also, even going around trees and even tree bed rings that are 5 ft. across can stress the turf close to the rings. The idea behind this, is to oversteer and go out straight at different points around the tree, and back up and snug back up to the tree - remember...always keeping both wheels moving whenever the machine is moving. I hope this helps.

GreenN'Clean

03-21-2007, 12:36 PM

instead of trying to make a zero-turn try it like a T. when you make your first pass and get ready to turn around, don't lock up one wheel but slow one down,turn to the right or left,stop,back up,then turn back and cut along side of the first pass. do it slow to learn and it will get faster w/ time. do you understand me or am I to confusing?

very good tip

topsites

03-21-2007, 12:42 PM

One thing someone else told me and I did it since day 1 is to take it nice and easy on the sticks, slow and gradual changes are the trick to not only keeping the engine running but also to keep from tearing up the yard.

In my case, I slow down to a stop, then gradually ease one stick forward and the other back until both wheels are turning opposite ways but it takes practice and you need to stop one more time before you get going... Actually, once you get it down you can do it all in one fluid motion and it appears you no longer stop (but you still do).

Basically I ease both sticks back to stop, then without hesitation one stick keeps going back while the other goes forward and once the turn is near completion I push the back one to go forward but pull off the forward one a bit to even them out as well and then I'm off again. But nice and easy, it's a slow turn and you have to have both tires turning at all times and keep the sticks in one constant fluid motion or you'll divot...

Anyway, the trick is easy does it.

blewis3412

03-21-2007, 02:46 PM

Thanks for all the great tips. I am getting ready to go mow my first lawn with my new machine.

TNT Lawncare

03-21-2007, 05:04 PM

Basically, a 3 point turn around is the best way to do it. Practice on concrete or ashpalt. If the tires make any noise when turning around, then you are tearing up the grass.

supercuts

03-21-2007, 05:48 PM

we basically slow down quite a bit and do a 3 point turn keeping both wheels moving. anther thing you might want to try is powering around something, by this i mean rather slowing the inside tire around a tree or other obsticle, slow both down then speed up the outside tire. this keeps from the inside tire from being forced to slow(which is what tears up the lawn more) to traveling at a constant speed while the outside tire speeds up

Flex-Deck

03-21-2007, 09:45 PM

instead of trying to make a zero-turn try it like a T. when you make your first pass and get ready to turn around, don't lock up one wheel but slow one down,turn to the right or left,stop,back up,then turn back and cut along side of the first pass. do it slow to learn and it will get faster w/ time. do you understand me or am I to confusing?

If you have to do all that stoping and starting with a Zero Turn, you just became slower at reversing directions than I am with my JD 595 tractor.
And I can hold hills better than any Zero Turn.

HOOLIE

03-22-2007, 12:12 AM

I've never agreed with the 3 point turn stuff...the whole point of the zero-turn technology is to enable you to turn the thing around faster. I can do a 3 pointer with my belt-drive WB.

One wheel forward, one wheel in reverse, use common sense, don't go from 10 mph to a crawl in a split second. Keep the terrain and turf conditions in mind too.

B&M

03-22-2007, 12:53 AM

Watch your inside wheel, keep it moving at all times. good luck.

cutbetterthanyou

03-22-2007, 09:46 AM

If you have to do all that stoping and starting with a Zero Turn, you just became slower at reversing directions than I am with my JD 595 tractor.
And I can hold hills better than any Zero Turn.

He asked how to turn around w/out tearing the grass not how to play nascar w/ a zeroturn. By the way I don't use a zero turn because it is faster I use on for a couple resons 1 price, 2 I have yet to fine somthing that cuts as good as my exmarks, 3 I can fit my wb, 52 w/bagger, and 2 72s on my tralier. I don't think a tractor like you have can help me in any of the 3 catagorys I just listed. But to every man his on what works for me may not work for you.

cutbetterthanyou

03-22-2007, 09:53 AM

I've never agreed with the 3 point turn stuff...the whole point of the zero-turn technology is to enable you to turn the thing around faster. I can do a 3 pointer with my belt-drive WB.

One wheel forward, one wheel in reverse, use common sense, don't go from 10 mph to a crawl in a split second. Keep the terrain and turf conditions in mind too.

If your belt drive is like mine I doubt you can turn around as fast as a zero turn. I have a scag belt drive and it has like a revese asst. It does not pull itself backward, and you have to stop and change gears w/ your knee then pull it back w/ help from the mach. (haveing to pull on it you can't really use a velche or sulky). If still after all that you are faster I am still better off because you are walking and I am rideing.

Billy Joe Mcguffee

03-22-2007, 11:58 AM

I've never agreed with the 3 point turn stuff...the whole point of the zero-turn technology is to enable you to turn the thing around faster. I can do a 3 pointer with my belt-drive WB.

One wheel forward, one wheel in reverse, use common sense, don't go from 10 mph to a crawl in a split second. Keep the terrain and turf conditions in mind too.

Not to be a wise guy but on a true zero turn your going right back down the same path you came up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Practice a 3 point turn until it feels like a zero turn and you'll be just fine. Like anything start out slow, you'll get faster with practice. Do it right for one week and you'll be run'n with the best of'm. You'll find that the 3 points aren't really points anymore by then as well.........well maybe one point. If you really want to practice do so on a gravel drive way in the a.m. when the surface is still wet from dew. Each stone you turn over will show you where you were spinning or skidding (stone wet on top is dry on bottom). It will also show you the exact point in your turns when this occurs. Then when you are done whip some doughnuts and have fun before getting back to work. Good luck grasshopper

Flex-Deck

03-23-2007, 05:59 PM

He asked how to turn around w/out tearing the grass not how to play nascar w/ a zeroturn. By the way I don't use a zero turn because it is faster I use on for a couple resons 1 price, 2 I have yet to fine somthing that cuts as good as my exmarks, 3 I can fit my wb, 52 w/bagger, and 2 72s on my tralier. I don't think a tractor like you have can help me in any of the 3 catagorys I just listed. But to every man his on what works for me may not work for you.

Heck - I have a 8 x 21 foot trailer bed. On that trailer, I have 3 mowers totaling 23.5 feet of mowing width. A 9 1/2 foot machine, a 7 1/2 foot machine, and a 6 1/2 foot machine, and they all have their own ramp. My tractors are midmount mowers just like yours, and I doubt that my wheel bases are any longer. Thanks Brad

topsites

03-23-2007, 06:12 PM

If you have to do all that stoping and starting with a Zero Turn, you just became slower at reversing directions than I am with my JD 595 tractor.
And I can hold hills better than any Zero Turn.

That would be the reason I think on any yard smaller than an acre, my Wb's whoop the Z, because of the time involved turning...
So long there's plenty of straight line distance, the Z does outpace the Wb, but only on big lots.
Here I look at the old timers running Z's, the few times one shows any pictures, most of those lots are HUGE lol, and I really think that's the thing, you need the lots to justify loading the Z... 1/4 - 3/4 acre stuff is for Wb's, no argument, that's beside the fact it costs around 2x the money to run a Z (thou I do like the prolonged maintenance periods, that makes up for some of it).

cutbetterthanyou

03-23-2007, 10:27 PM

Like i said before to every man his own, what works for me may not work for you. As far as the 3/4 and under stuff goes I just bag it w/ a 60 ztr anyway and i don't stripe it, so a wb don't work for me. Small $25- $30 yards I make about 2-4 passes in the front and not much more than that in the back.Everything I cut in town seriously take no longer than 10 mins most about five and some I can knock out in 2 cut, trim, edge(w/edger no trimmer crap) and blow walks and drives by myself. I have one I cut w/ the wb the same size as the others takes about 30-40. I also have a belt drive scag 36 inch it may not be as productive as yours. That is just how things work for me. I donno maybe you are right but the only way that I can see the wb beiing faster is if you are compareing it to a ztr of the same size but I still think that a 36 inch belt drive is slower than my 60 w/ a bagger

dhardin53

03-24-2007, 02:26 AM

Another thing you should check on a Z is to see that the front caster bearings are not to tight or worn out. Jack up the front of the Z so both wheels are off the ground. The caster should turn very free. If its sticky at all you will never get a good turn without divots.

Flex deck: no even doing a 3 point turn a ZTR will ture around MUSH faster. But there are many usages for tractors.

Flex-Deck

03-24-2007, 09:32 AM

Another thing you should check on a Z is to see that the front caster bearings are not to tight or worn out. Jack up the front of the Z so both wheels are off the ground. The caster should turn very free. If its sticky at all you will never get a good turn without divots.

Flex deck: no even doing a 3 point turn a ZTR will ture around MUSH faster. But there are many usages for tractors.

You obviously have not run one of the "modern" foot control hydrostatic small turning radius tractors they make these days. I have been on both Zero Turns and Tractors, have you?

chipk1

03-24-2007, 09:54 AM

Don't turn around in the same spot week after week. One week make 1 parameter pass, the next week make 2 parameter passes. Allowing you to turnaround further into the lawn. This gives the grass longer to repair itself from the stress of turning. Also move your patterns around occasionally. If a lawn is not very healthy you will get bare spots no matter how hard you try not to, but these methods will help minimize them.